Unai Emery looks ahead to Salzburg game

Unai Emery has sat down before the media ahead of Aston Villa’s UEFA Europa League meeting with Salzburg.

The Villans will be looking to close their league phase campaign with victory on Thursday evening (ko 8pm), after a 1-0 win over Fenerbahçe last week secured their place in the round of 16.

And the Villa boss joined the local, national and European outlets for his pre-match media briefing at Bodymoor Heath on Wednesday, discussing Thomas Letsch’s side, the thirst to finish as high as possible in the league phase standings and his business in the transfer window.

“Abraham, you know him, because he was playing here, 6-7 years ago.

“And when we let (Donyell) Malen leave, we had in our mind to (replace) him, and Tammy Abraham was one of the players.

“We were following him, and to have two strikers with Ollie Watkins was our objective, and of course, we are so excited about how he can help us from now, until the (end) of the season.”

“We are trying every small details, or big details to try to get for ourselves.

“And one of them, of course, after qualifying, is to try to get this advantage. But not only for this advantage, as well, because we want to win the match.

“We must build our team being so, so demanding in everything we are doing. And tomorrow, to win the match is our objective, clear objective, after we are in the top eight.

“And, of course, to finish the first in the group is the next objective we can have. And every players, they are in the same way, and how much important is this competition for us? We must show each match, playing.”

“Tomorrow, I am looking forward to watching, with the players we have, how we are going to play, and how are we going to respond.

“Of course, we qualified last week in the top eight, but tomorrow, we will compete in the same idea we are doing, and how we can continue building the team – our structure.

“I am excited. I am excited in Europa League and excited how the players responded in Newcastle, really fantastic.

“I think we are in good form, being consistent, even with the defeat we had against Everton last week, but we believe in how we are, the club as well, working in everything we need.

“We are finishing the transfer window in a few days, and of course, I want to close everything, and to be ready for how we will face the next matches, the next competitions we have, and of course, we have in front a lot of huge challenges, and exciting challenges to get.”